Potato-cutting device



May 12, 1942. s. BAKEWELL POTATQ CUTTINGDEVICE Filed Oct. 12, 1938 2 SheetS-Sheetl May-12, 942. s. BAKEWELL v 2,283,029 l l POTATO CUTTING'DEVICE I Filed ct. 12, 1958 2`Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 12, 1942 orties My invention relates to, principally, potato-cutting machines, and similar devices adapted to cut into convenient and desirable designs various kinds of fruit and vegetables for culinary pur- Doses.

One of the objects sought, is to provide means to enable an operative to readily clean the knives and punches of such a machine.

Another object is, to provide a receptacle of novel structure, in which knives vare removably mounted perpendicularly to each other and, in

` plural unitsrespectively, held and subjected to member being so designed that for cleaning purposes it may be rotatively moved to a position, perpendicular to the said frame-body.

Special attention is directed to the novel structure of the knife-receptacle disclosed in the drawings, which is believed to be essential to the perfection of the mechanism. Reference to the particulars comprising the said novelty will be made later on in connection with the drawings.

The invention consists in theconstruction and arrangement of parts as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, and more particularly described hereinafter in a detailed specification, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of a side elevation of a potato-cutting machine, illustrating a punchmember, lever means for the operation thereof; a knife-receptacle mounted in one end of the machine, a ratchet-arrangement to effect an angular position of its frame, and a pedestal to facilitate its attachmentv to a stand, embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view revealing a punchmember-carriage, and the manner in which it is adapted to releasably engage the said punch member; and the disclosure of a spring-con-Y trolled shaft, designed to retain and release the said punch-member-carriage in, and out of, its normal Working position.V

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the machine, showing knives mounted perpendicularly to each other in a knife receptacle.

Figure 4 is a partial view of a side elevation of the machine showing the punch-member moved out lofits normal position to facilitate its cleaning.

Figure 5 is a sectional end-view, in elevation, of a knife-receptacle on the line 5-,5 of Figures 1 and 2 respectively, illustrating anterior grooves and knife-slots in its vertical sides and posterior grooves and knife-slots in its horizontal sides for the reception of the ends of knivesk and their fastening members. y

Figure 6 is a side view of a knife showing a hole in each end thereof for the engagement of a rodfastener, and a screw-tightening m'ember.

Figure 7 is an edge view of the said knife.

Throughout the :various drawings like numerals designate like parts.

The numeral 8 points out the frame body ofa potato-cutting machine comprising longitudinal sides 9A and It, the inner sides of which being provided with grooves vIl and I2, respectively, for the reception of slidable members I3 and M,

`respectively. A punch-member carriage l5 is axiallyA mounted on 'the said slidable members by means/of journals i6',- thesaid carriage being adaptedto move2therewith, andto carry-'a punchmemb'erl I'removably mounted in thek endv thereof.

A lever i8 is pivoted to the said punch-member carriage by a link member i9 and thereby adapted to operate the said carriage and punchmember. l

The punch-member I1 comprises a plurality of extensions 2l] adapted to mesh with corresponding openings 2l formed by ,knivesV 22 mounted perpendicularly to each other in a knife-receptacle 23. of four pieces of bar stock and arc-welded 24 together, such stock being commercially furnished in a finished form. The vertical sides of the knife-receptacle respectively, and each slotted 2l for the reception of the perforated ends of the said knives.

A single rod-fastener 28, in the groove 25, is adapted to nt in the perforated ends of a pair of the said knives and retain them in rigid position, while a single screw-member 29, mounted in the groove 2S, is adapted to rigidly engage the oppositely perforated knife-ends, and maintain the said knives under suitable tension. The hori- The said knife-receptacle is formed 23 are grooved 25 and 2t,A

zontal sides or the said knife-receptacle are grooved 30 and 3|, respectively, and each slotted 32; such grooves being identical, in form, with those of the vertical sides, similarly equipped and supplied, the knives being mounted perpendicularly to those mounted in the said vertical grooves. It is to be noted that the vertical grooves, 25 and 26, lie in the same plane, while that of the horizontal grooves, 30 and 3|, is posterior thereto and parallel therewith; that the grooves provide a housing for the rod-fasteners 28 and the screw-members 29, and that such housing is within the perimeter of the sides of the said knife-receptacle.

A recess 33 is formed in one end of the frame body 8 for the reception of the knife-receptacle 23, removably mounted therein. A spring-controlled shaft 34 is laterally mounted in the punch-member-carriage l5, one end 35 of which is adapted to engage the slidable-member I3 mounted in groove Il, and maintain the said punch-member carriage in its normal Working position; a locking device 36 is Yassociated with the said punch-member-carriage and adapted to Withdraw the said shaft, and thereby permit the said punch-member carriage to be rotated to an angular position, to facilitate the cleaning of the punch-member Il connected thereto.

The nether part of the said frame body is provided With a ratchet holding device 31 which meshes with a like member 38, integrally formed in a pedestal member 39, the said pedestal being adapted to engage a floor-stand 40 by means of screws or bolts; the said ratchet arrangement being such as to permit the said frame body of the machine to be set at any desirable angle for operation; a screw member 4l is adapted to loc-k the ratchet members in position.

The manner of operation is easily understandable; potatoes or other vegetable or fruit are placed in the path portion of the punch-member against the knives; the punch lever is then pressed forward, in the direction of the knifereceptacle. The extensions of the punch-member pass through the mesh openings of the knives and thus form the potatoes, fruits, etc. into agreeable designs.

What I claim. as new is:

1. In a food slicing machine, in combination with a frame having slideway portions therein, a plurality of cutting portions carried by the frame, and means for forcing material through the cutting portions, comprising a pusher block slidable in said Ways and having pusher sections spaced in accordance with the spacing of the cutting portions and movable to and from interengaged relation with said cutting portions, as the block slides in the Ways, means including a handle for sliding the block, means for interconnecting said block and Ways to allow lateral movement of the block out of the ways when desired, comprising slide elements adapted to travel in said ways and pivotally supporting said block, and manually releasable latching means normally preventing lateral movement of the block out of said ways, in all positions of the block and handle.

2. In a knife block assembly for a food cutting machine or the like, a frame having sides defining a hollow rectangle and formed of relatively stiff material of substantial thickness, a plurality of knives arranged in a parallel row and extending across said frame and through opposite sides thereof, the outer surface of one of said sides being channeled to expose the ends of the knives, the ends of said knives being housed in the channel and means also located in said channel for retaining and tensioning said knives, comprising equalizing bars extending longitudinally of the channel and centrally pivoted to rock about an axis transverse thereto, the ends of said bars being connected to adjacent knives, and means for adjusting the position of the bar with respect to its fulcrum to change the tension upon the knives while maintaining equalized tension thereupon.

3. In a knife block assembly for a food cutting machine or the like, a frame having sides defining a hollow rectangle and formed of relatively sti material of substantial thickness, knives arranged in parallel rows and extending across said frame and through opposite sides thereof, the knives being of insufcient length to extend materially beyond the `outer surfaces of said sides, the outer surfaces of said sides being longitudinally channeled to expose the ends of said knives, tensioning means located in said channels for retaining said knives and imposing direct longitudinal tension thereupon, equalizing elements also housed in said channels and connected to said knives and rockable to impose equalized tension upon a plurality of said knives.

SIDNEY BAKEWELL. 

